To investigate the mechanical properties of a bedded salt rock sequence and to explore differences from those of single lithology specimens such as pure rock salt (NaCl) or anhydrite (CaSO4), a set of 23 specimens was prepared from core samples from Yingcheng salt deposit located 500–1000 m underground in Hubei Province, China. Specimens are classified into three lithotypes: rock salt (halite) samples, anhydrite interlayer samples and bedded composite samples. The first two categories are “pure” lithotypes, and the last category is a “mixed” lithotype with horizontal beds of either anhydrite or mudstone alternating with halite in the specimens, hence anhydrite–halite and mudstone–halite composite categories.